--- title: Tiny Houses for the Homeless Made in Oakland, California description: Artist makes tiny houses for the homeless in Oakland, California. canonical: https://time.com/89213/artists-uses-trash-to-make-shelters-for-the-homeless/ author: Anita Hamilton article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-05-06T15:52:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:48:41.074Z og:title: Artist Uses Trash to Make Shelters for the Homeless og:description: Artist makes tiny houses for the homeless in Oakland, California. og:url: https://time.com/89213/artists-uses-trash-to-make-shelters-for-the-homeless/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt85792474e7d6d46d/69868e203bc999585d1a3544/screen-shot-2014-05-06-at-4-10-08-pm.png?branch=production&width=803&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 803 og:image:height: 452 og:image:alt: Homeless Homes Project 2 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Artist Uses Trash to Make Shelters for the Homeless twitter:description: Artist makes tiny houses for the homeless in Oakland, California. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt85792474e7d6d46d/69868e203bc999585d1a3544/screen-shot-2014-05-06-at-4-10-08-pm.png?branch=production&width=803&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Artist Uses Trash to Make Houses for the Homeless > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=32dbace7-ebf5-43b2-baa4-b3468b23fb22&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) by [Anita Hamilton](https://time.com/author/anita-hamilton/) ## Anita Hamilton May 6, 2014 3:52 PM UTC  One of ten shelters on wheels built by Gregory Kloehn and the Homeless Homes Project in Oakland, California One of ten shelters on wheels built by Gregory Kloehn and the Homeless Homes Project in Oakland, California Brian J. Reynolds by [Anita Hamilton](https://time.com/author/anita-hamilton/) ## Anita Hamilton May 6, 2014 3:52 PM UTC Pint-sized shelters designed for people who could otherwise afford much larger abodes have captured the imagination of [architects across the globe](http://www.fastcodesign.com/3028128/9-of-the-worlds-most-creative-tiny-buildings). Now one artist and builder, [Gregory Kloehn](http://www.gregorykloehn.com/) of Oakland, Calif., is using his creative know-how to make cozy, colorful homes for people who would otherwise sleep on the street. Using salvaged materials he finds in the trash, Kloehn’s [Homeless Homes Project](http://www.homelesshomesproject.org/) has built 10 mobile shelters to date. “Each home is made from items found on the street, pallets, doors, refrigerator parts, paint, etc…. The only cost to me is screws, nails, glue and the gas it takes me to drive around Oakland and find the stuff on the street. I guesstimate each home to have $30-$50 US dollars in my cost,” Kloehn explains on his [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=455474031223984&set=a.455474021223985.1073741832.100002841745079&type=3&theater). Built with a team of volunteers, the homes are then donated to those in need, sometimes with a bottle of champagne included.  Brian J. Reynolds The micro homes’ floors are typically made of wooden pallets and some are insulated with [pizza delivery bags](http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci%5F24869275/oakland-artist-turns-trash-into-homes-homeless). Each structure has enough room to sleep in, windows, shelves, a door and basic amenities like a mirror and cup holder. One even has a space for [a pet carrier](http://www.gregorykloehn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG%5F4179.jpg) and small grill. The results are anything but trashy. Painted vibrant yellows, greens, oranges and pinks, the shelters on wheels — which have no electrical outlets or running water — are made to be easily transportable in case an owner decides to relocate. See more of Kloehn’s ingenious mobile homes [here](http://www.gregorykloehn.com/gallery/). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/89213/artists-uses-trash-to-make-shelters-for-the-homeless/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/89213/artists-uses-trash-to-make-shelters-for-the-homeless/"},"headline":"Artist Uses Trash to Make Houses for the Homeless","datePublished":"2014-05-06T15:52:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:48:41.074Z","description":"A California artist is giving away stylish shelters on wheels so those in need can feel a little safer -- and warmer -- sleeping on the streets","url":"https://time.com/89213/artists-uses-trash-to-make-shelters-for-the-homeless/","keywords":["Newsfeed","house","U.S.","oakland","homeless"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt85792474e7d6d46d/69868e203bc999585d1a3544/screen-shot-2014-05-06-at-4-10-08-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Anita Hamilton","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/anita-hamilton/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt85792474e7d6d46d/69868e203bc999585d1a3544/screen-shot-2014-05-06-at-4-10-08-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Homeless Homes Project 2","caption":"One of ten shelters on wheels built by Gregory Kloehn and the Homeless Homes Project in Oakland, California","creditText":"Brian J. 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